Minister's Note for July

Detail from 'Mission San Antonio de Padua' © Jen Norton. Used with permission. www.JenNortonArtStudio.com

The Privileged Place

Dear brothers and sisters,
 
A remarkable description of fraternity life can be found in in our Rule of Life (article 22). It tells us that the local fraternity …  
   … becomes the basic unit of the whole Order and a visible sign of the Church, the community of love. This should be the privileged place for developing a sense of Church and the Franciscan vocation … (emphasis added)
 
So, the monthly fraternity gathering is essential to our growth as Franciscans. How might we nurture that growth?  One way is through small groups that support our spiritual growth as fraternity. These can be book clubs, service projects, ‘coffee’ meet-ups etc. that happen in between regular fraternity gatherings. They never take the place of those gatherings – but they can help us to grow as one community of love.
 
Our Constitutions (articles 33 and 34) stipulate only that such groups are "under the guidance of the one council" and remain faithful "to the requirements which arise from membership in the one fraternity." That seems to leave room for a variety of expression. 
 
Do you have an idea for ongoing fraternity life? Bring it to the San Luis Rey Council!  Already some of our members support each other in fraternity more than once a month. Remember, “wherever two or three are gathered” in His name …. Just be sure your small group meets the needs of the fraternity and that nothing replaces our privileged place together.
 
Would you like to build fraternity without starting a small group? It’s simple! At our next meeting, sit next to a sister or brother you don’t know so well. Try sitting next to someone new for the next three months.  The Holy Spirit, the Founder of our Order, will do the rest.

​Enjoy the privileged place.

Peace and all good,
Donna
Minister SLR Fraternity OFS

Francis with a 'small group' of his fellow Friars